A semi-self-service type check-out system is known. In the conventional check-out system of this type, purchase registration and payment are respectively performed in a merchandise registration apparatus and a payment apparatus, in a supermarket or the like. Generally, a salesperson operates the merchandise registration apparatus, and a shopper operates the payment apparatus.
Such a system is adapted to transfer payment information for payment process from the merchandise registration apparatus to a single payment apparatus of a plurality of payment apparatuses. However, if a single payment apparatus has payment information for a plurality of transactions, this may confuse the shopper who attempts payment.
Thus, the salesperson that operates the merchandise registration apparatus selects a single unoccupied payment apparatus among the plurality of payment apparatuses, and operates the merchandise registration apparatus so as also to transmit the payment information to the selected payment apparatus.
Therefore, whenever the registration of the merchandise for one transaction is completed, the salesperson needs to select and designate a single payment apparatus as a transfer destination in the merchandise registration apparatus, and this is a burden on the salesperson.
In view of this, it is desired to reduce the burden on the salesperson that operates the merchandise registration apparatus.